Hello blogheads,

Today's task is related to our culture.

In your opinion, who is the greatest Chilean of all time?

Say:
Who it is,

What he/she did,

Why this person's deeds are important,

What question you would like to ask this person if you met them.

Mention anything else you think is important.

Write a minimum of 200- 250 words and comment on ALL your classmates' blogs.

Hello bloggers,
Here is some help to practice for the oral interaction test that will be held in the near future. Remember you need a partner for this activity (In pairs)It is a good idea to decide on it now.

You will speak about a topic chosen at random for a minimum of 5 mins.
Giving your opinion

"I think…."


"I feel that…."


"In my opinion…."


"As far as I'm concerned…."


"As I see it…."


"In my view…"

Giving a strong opinion

"I'm absolutely convinced that…."


"I'm sure that….."


"I strongly believe that…."


"I have no doubt that…"


ASKING for SOMEONE'S OPINION

"What do you think (about /of X)?"


"What's your view (on)?"


"How do you see the situation (of)?"

Agreeing and disagreeing
Agreeing

"I think you're right."
"I agree with you."


Strong agreement
"I couldn't agree with you more."
"You're absolutely right."
"I agree entirely."
"I totally agree."


Agreeing in part

"I agree with you up to a point, but..."
"That's quite true, but..."
"I agree with you in principle, but..."


Disagreeing

"I'm not sure I agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't agree."
"(I'm afraid) I disagree."
"(I'm afraid) I can't agree with you."
"(I'm afraid) I don't share your opinion."

Note that when you disagree with someone, you can often sound
more polite by using a phrase such as "I'm afraid..."

Disagreeing strongly

"I don't agree at all."
"I totally disagree."
"I couldn't agree with you less."

Keeping a conversation going
Making comments

"No!" - to show surprise
"I don't believe it!" - to show surprise
"Wow!" - to show admiration or surprise
"That's incredible / amazing / unbelievable" - to show great
interest in the subject of conversation
"How awful / terrible" - to show sympathy with someone else's bad
news

Asking questions

"Really?" - to show surprise
"And you?" - when someone asks you how you are
"Did you?" - can be used to encourage someone to tell their story.

For example, "I saw her last night" "Did you?" "Yes, she was with one of her friends, and she

Learning

something you'd like to learn

There are lots of things I would love to learn to do. However, to be realistic, some of them would be too complicated. For example, I’d love to learn to play the flute but you need a lot of time and dedication to become a competent musician and I don’t think it would be a feasible instrument to learn at this stage of my life. One thing that I would like to learn well would be to play the guitar. I can play basic stuff and I know some chords but I'd like to be able to play any old song nicely and in rythm. I I just wish I wanted it more so I devoted more time to it and improved. I feel and been told I am good. I took singing lessons for some time and made no progress whatsoever, so even though I'd like to sing better, I have little hope. It is all related to my lack of commitment, I suppose. Work and studies really take most of my time and I cannot seem to find time for pleasurable activities more than watching movies and socialize at the weekends.  Another thing I'd like to learn is more about the mother of all sciences =philosophy (This would help me with my studies!). It is also the kind of thing I don't think I find the time to do. Finally, Improving my pc skills and dancing salsa is also on my list but I think I am one of the stiffest people ever:(
Last but not least, I really think this life is a constant learning experience. In everything we do, interaction we have we have something to take with us. I love that.
Write about yourself.
Is there something in particular you would like to learn?
Is there something you started learning and stopped that you would like to pursue?
Tell us about your interest!
write a minimum of 205 words plus 3 comments on blogs where you have not commented before and 1 anywhere you like.

When I was younger, I loved to go out clubbing or to parties. However, in recent years I tend to go out to eat rather than to dance. Santiago has some great restaurants and you can eat out quite cheaply. There are "picadas" like Golfo di Napoli for wonderful pizza or pasta or slightly more expensive places with wonderful International cuisine like Thai House or Olan (Peruvian). I am a Pescatarian, I eat fish and seafood but not meat (of any kind) so that is always a factor when I eat out.

I don’t think I have a favorite kind of food. There are some foods that I do not like much, for example Korean food. I suppose it is because the meat dishes are the specialty. I love very hot food, lots of spices and taste. There is a nice Indian in Santiago. It is a bit pricy but it is really nice.  It is called Rishtedar . Many of the dishes are spicy hot and there is a scale of spiciness from 1 to 6 (from mild to blow-your-head-off). I love spicy food but grade 4 is as hot as I can stand.

I also love places like “el naturista” in the center, where you can enjoy porotos Granados or fantastic quinoa dishes for a very reasonable price.

Write about somewhere you like to eat out.

 Say:

What it’s called,

Where it is,

What it serves,

What you like to eat there.

 

Mention anything else you thing is important. Write at least 200 words. Leave a comment on my blog and on the blogs of 3 classmates.

This week I'd like you to write about the best holiday you ever had. I cannot say for sure but I think mine was a trip my husband and I made to Peru and Bolivia in 2001. We flew to Arica and stayed the night in a hostel. The next day we took a minibus to Tacna and a bus to Arequipa. We stayed in a cheap hostel in Arequipa but also spent one night in Colca Canyon (to see the baby Condors). On the trip to Colca we made friends with 2 Italian guys and 2 Israeli girls who we kept meeting throughout our trip. After about 4 days in Arequipa we took a flight to Cusco. We could have taken a 19-hour bus ride for about 2 dollars but we decided on the 30-minute, 50 dollar flight because it was rainy season and some of the roads were blocked. Also there had been rumours of bandits holding up the buses and robbing the tourists. Cusco was great. Obviously we went to Machu Picchu which was amazing. It was raining when we arrived but the sun came out late in the afternoon when all the one-day tourists had left. My husband and I had arranged to stay overnight in Aguas Calientes, the nearest village, and we walked up to Machu Picchu again the following day at 8 am to see the sunrise. We also climbed Huayna Picchu as well which has an amazing view and is a great place to take photos. In Aguas Calientes we met a group of Argentinians in a bar and they told us about an amazing hotel in Coroico, Bolivia that involved travelling down the "Road of Death". So, off we went to Coroico via Puno (for 30 minutes), Copacobana for two nights, with trips on Lake Titicaca to La Isla del Sol and La Isla de la Luna included, and La Paz. Coroico was great. The Road of Death was scary and the hotel was just as amazing as the Argentinians had said it was. Actually, the Road of Death (in the picture)  was so scary I didn't want to leave Coroico! Eventually, I had to. Luckily we made it back to La Paz safe and sound. A couple of days later we took a bus back to Chile via Lake Chungara. Great trip! So, write about a great holiday you had.

 Say:

 Where you went,

 Who you went with,

 How long you stayed,

 What you did,

 Why you enjoyed it so much.

 Mention anything else you thing is important. Write a comment on the blogs of at least 3 class members.

Hi Guys

Today I’d like to tell you about a band I really like. Actually, it wasn’t easy to decide because I really love music and I sort of enjoy nearly all sorts. Nowadays there is so much choice that with a bit of organization (moneywise), one can get to a couple of shows a year.

One band I really like and have liked for a while is “Rush”. I really like the fact that they have gone through different styles from experimental rock to a more pop style at one point. I like them because some of the lyrics are very meaningful to me and the music is cool. I’ve never been a fan of the lead singer’s voice but I’ve learnt to like it with the years. I think I like many of the songs but today I’ll mention “time stand still” as my favorite ( I don’t really have one!). It brings me a lot of memories from being a teenager and hanging out with friends.

I saw them live a couple of years back here in Santiago and I really enjoyed it.  The musicians are all really great and I think anybody who knows about playing the drums or the guitar would know this. I really enjoyed even the songs I did not know.

What about you?

Refer to a band / singer >>
- name
- what do you know about them?
- what type of music do they play?
- why do you like this artist/band?
- what's your favorite song? why?
- publish a picture or video
- 210 words minimum
- make 3 comments on your classmates posts.

Option 1

Hello Everyone,
Have a listen to this talk on how language became what it is and how it has evolved and what Mr. Pagel sees as the inevitable future.


Think about what Pagel says and develop your thoughts on this topic. Write what you feel about what he says on the origin of language, on how it has evolved, on what he foresees as the future of language.

How do you feel about your own language? How do you relate it to your identity as an individual and as a Chilean?

http://www.ted.com/talks/mark_pagel_how_language_transformed_humanity.html

Write a 220 Word text on your reflections. Write 3 comments.

Option 2

Write about a free topic. Anything you feel like writing about. Please organize the text. Give it an introduction, develop ideas  and wrap it up!
220 words and 3 comments.

Cheers everyone!